Automatic shut-off



Dec. 27, 1927.

V. A. BURROWS AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF Filed July 9. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,983

v. A. BURROWS AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF Filed July 9, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIT/1055555 Dec. 21, 1921. 1,653,983

-v. A. BURRQWS AUTOMATIC SHUT- OFF Filed July 9, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 W W WW5 1 atrozneq Patented ljec. 27, 192? UNITED STATES VIRGIL A. BUR-ROWS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOI IRI.

AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF.

Application filed July 9,

This invention appertains generally to valve mechanisms and has more specific reterence to a new and improved. water shutoff device for association with bathtubs and a the lilre.

The primary object oi the present inven tion is to provide such a shut-cit device oi the character stated which is automatic in its action and will operate to shut off the lit flow of water into the bathtub when the water Within the said bathtub has reached a predetermined height.

Another object oi the present invention is the provision oi new and novel means for regulating the device so that it will operate to shut oil the flow of water into the tub when the water Within the tub reaches various heights.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a water shut-oil device of the character stated which may be incorporated with the conventional bathtubs now in use and which may be easily and quickly secured thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a water shut-oil device of the cha'acter stated embodying a valve, means for holdin the valve in its open position, and a iloat ior releasing the valve holding means when the water Within the tub reaches a predetermined height whereby the valve will be automatically moved to its closed position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such a shutoit device which while simple in construction, is nevertheless strong, sturdy and durable, eilective and eilicient in its operation and well designed. for the pin-poses for which it is intended.

lVith these and numerous other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be inore iully hereinafter described, illustrated in. the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a conventional bathtub showing the till 1926. Serial No. 121,448.

present improved shut-oit device associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectioiuil through a portion oi a bathtub slui'wii shut-oil device associated. therewith a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a top plan view oi. lligiue Figure i is sectional view talron on line no li of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view talieu on. line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional. view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 41-. looking in dirccruiu oi? l the arrows. p b Figure is a sectionalview tahen on line t-7 0t Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view at the valve holding means. i it Referring now more in detail to he no coinpanying drawings, wherein tor the purpose oi illustration has been 0 "loved a preferred embodiment oi the presei I tion, the letter A generally indie: i. W tub oi? any conventional or pro rod con struction and B the present improve-nil shut oi? device associated therewith.

The bathtub A, stated above, may he of any conventional or prci'orrcd construc Ell tion, and. has associated therewith the usual waste outlet pipe 10 and the hot and. cold ater inlet pipes ll and 12 which. lead into the bathtub through one end wall thereof as will be readily understood. t

The improved shut-oil device enil in its construction a casing or hour of substantially rectangular iorinai COlllPllSlDg the bottom wull'lkl the -l L rear walls 15 and 16, the end walls 'l rad. ill 18 and the cover 19, said cover bein inovably secured inposition tlurough the f" dium of suitable fastening bolts or the l .c 20 engageable through the ear: It. (the housing 13 is further provided .icdia'l'e as its ends and atthe juncture oi? the ...ront and bottom walls 15 and 14: with an outlet spent 22.

The housing 13 is secured within and. to the bathtub A by means of suitable ih lilo ing elements, such as bolts or rivets pa ing through the brackets 24 carried by said housing, the rear wall 16 at the housing being provided with a pair at h zontally alined openings and surrounding each of the said openings is an outwardly projecting annular flange 25 and an inwardly extending annular flange 26. The outwardly rojecting flanges 25 re -internall threade 'to receive the threaded ends of t e water inlet pipes 11 and 12 while the inwardly extending annular flanges 26 are externally threaded for threadedly receiving the valve'casings 28 and 29, said valve casings being of substantially domeshaped formation and each being provided with an outlet opening 30 at its reduced nner end.

Formed integrally with the bottom wall 14 of the housing and positioned intermediate the front and rear walls thereof and directly in advance of the valve casings 28 and 29 are the vertical supporting plates 31 and 32, each of said plates being formed adj acent its upper end with a circular opening 33 and a somewhat smaller angular opening 34 communicating with the circular opening 33. i 25 Carried by the supporting plates 31 and 32 andextending through the circular openings 33 thereof are the horizontally arranged valve plungers 35 and 36, each of said plungers being provided with a plurality of depending and forwardly slanting teeth 37 which are received within the angular openings 34. The rear ends of the said plungers 35 and 36 extend through the openings 30 in the valve casings 28 and 29 and have secured thereto valves 38, the edges of which are suitably beveled so as to snugly engagethe inner surfaces of the valve casings whereby to tightly close theopenings 30 therein. The outer ends of the plungers 35 and 36 extend outwardly through the front wall 15 of the housing and may be provided with suitable knobs or buttons 39 and 40 upon which may be provided suitable marking to indicate the hot or cold water pipes with which the said plungers may be associated. Encircling the plungers 35 and 36, are contractile coil springs 41 and 42 which act to normally urge the said plungers outwardly so as to move the valves 38 into closed positions whereby to close the openings 30 in the valve casings.

Each of the said supporting plates 31 and 32 isfurther provided beneath the plunger carried thereby with a somewhat enlarged angular opening 43 through which passes a pivot pin 44 and mounted intermediate their ends upon the said pivot pms are the substantially L-shaped valve holding levers 15 t and 46, each comprising in its construction, 60 the substantially vertical arm 47 adapted to engage the teeth 37 of the plunger with which it is associated and the substantially horizontalarm 48. Pivotally received within the horizontal arms 48 of the said L-. shaped levers 45 and 46 are the horizontally alined terminals 49 and 50 of the operating member 51, said operating member being provided intermediate its ends with the depending leg 52 which passes through the bottom wall let of the housing 13 and is screw-threaded so as to threadedly receive thereon the rod 53, said rod being provided at diametrically opposite points with the vertically arranged teeth 54.

Carried by the rod 53 is a float 55, the central portion thereof being formed with a circular opening for receiving therethrough the rod 53 and extending from the circular opening are the oppositely disposed angular recesses 56 and 57. Fitted within the Circular opening and also within the angular recesses 56 and 57 is a casing 58 and arranged within the casing are the oppositely disposed spring pressed pins 59 and 60, said pins being adapted to engage the teeth 54 formed on the rod 53 whereby to retain the float 55 in its adjusted position. From this construction, it will be appreciated that the float 55 can be moved upwardly or downwardly on the rod 53 simply by exerting pressure upon the same in the desired direction and the spring pressed pins 59 and 60 engaging with the teeth 54 will retain the float in any desired adjusted position.

In the operation of the present invention and when it is desired to run water into the bath tub A, the float 55 is first moved up or down on the rod 53 until it is at the desired point after which either one of the plungers 35 or 36 is pushed inwardly according to whether or not hot or cold water is desired. As the proper plunger is pushed inward] the teeth 37 thereof will be permitted to ri e over the arm 47 of the L-shaped lever associated therewith. This inward movement of the plunger will open the valve 38 and the arm 47 engaging with the teeth 37 will prevent the plunger from moving outwardly so as to close the valve 38. Thus. the arm 47 will operate to hold the valve in its 0 en position and the water will then tibw through the opening 30 in the valve easing into the housing 13 and outwardly thereof into the bathtub through the s )out 22. \Vhen the water level in the bathtub reaches the height at which the float 55 had previously been positioned, the said float will be moved upwardly with the result that the L- .shaped lever will. be rocked about its pivot L4 so as to disengage the arm 17 thereof from the teeth 37 of the plunger. When this occurs. the plunger will be automatically urged outwardly by the contract-ible coil spring etl or 42 associated therewith whereby to move the valve 38 into its closed position so as to stop the flow of water through the opening 30.

While there has been disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention which in practice will give both efiicient and re- Fill iti

liable results, yet it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

For instance, it found desirable, the brackets 24: can be directed at right angles to the end Walls 17 and 18 of the housing 13 and the outwardly projecting annular flanges can be omitted so that the said housing 13 will lit snugly against the tub A. Also, various forms of brackets may be used withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A faucet for use in connection with a water receiving receptacle, comprising a water inlet means, a valve controlling the same, means acting to close said valve, means automatically acting to engage and hold said valve when shifted to open position, to maintain the same open, and means, operated by the rise of water to a predetermined height in the receptacle to release the valve holding means, for permitting the movement of the valve to closed position.

2. In a shut-oil device of the character described, a housing adapted to be attached to a tub, a valve within the housing means for permitting water to flow through the housing into the tub, means for holding the valve in an open position, means tending to close the valve and means for releasing the said holding means when the water within the tub reaches a predetermined height to permit the valve to close.

3. In a shutofl' device of the character described, a housing adapted to be attached to a tub, means for permitting water to flow through the housing into the tub, a valve within the housing means for holding the valve in an open position, means for releasing the said holding means when the water within the tub reaches a predetermined height and means for automatically closing the valve upon the release of the said holding means.

4. In a shut-off device of the character described, housing adapted to be attached to a tub, means for permitting water to flow through the housing into the tub, a plunger supported within the housing, a valve earried by the plunger, means engageable with the plunger for holding the valve in its open position, a float for releasing the said holding means when the water Within the tub reaches a predetermined height, and spring means for automatically closing the valve upon the releasing of the said holding means.

5. In a shut-oflf device of the character described, a housing adapted to be attached to a tub and having an inlet and an outlet, a valve casing carried by the housing directly in advance of the said inlet, a plunger supported Within the housing, a valve carried by the plunger and arranged within the valve casing, an angle lever engageable with the plunger for holding the valve in its open position, means tending to close the valve and means for rocking the said angle lever whereby to disengage the same from the plunger when the water in the tub reaches a predetermined height to permit the valve to close.

6. In a shut-oft device of the character described, a housing adapted to be attached to a tub-and having an inlet and an outlet, a. valve casing carried by the housing directly in advance of the said inlet, a plunger supported within the housing, a valve carried by the plunger and arranged within the valve casing, an angle lever engageable with the plunger for holding the valve in its open position, a float for operating to disengage the angle lever from the plunger when the water in the tub reaches a predetermined height, and spring means secured to the plunger for urging the same outwardly whereby to automatically close the valve upon the disengaging of the angle lever from the plunger.

7. In a shut-oil device of the character described, a housing adapted to be attached to a tub, means for permitting water to flow through the housing into the tub, a valve within the housing, means for holding the valve in an open position, means tending to close the valve, a float operating to release the said holding means when the water within the tub reaches a predetermined height to permit the valve to close, and means whereby the height of the said float may be adjusted.

8. In a shut-oil device of the character described, a housing adapted to be attached to a tub, means for permitting water to flow through the housing into the tub, a plunger supported within the housing, a valve carried by the plunger, means engageable with the plunger for holding the valve in its open position, means tending to close the valve, a float for releasing the said holding means when the water within the tub reaches a predetermined height to permit the valve to close, and means for adjusting the height of the said float.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

VIRGIL A. BURROWS.

lOt) 

